Eco Lawn Science

Ete's seen a lot during his decades in the lawn industry, including a whole lot of homeowner mistakes. And they tend to be the same mistakes. Today Ete describes the top 7 things he sees people doing that they shouldn't, and 1 thing they don't do, which they should. Luckily, these are all pretty easy fixes. Want to save money, time, effort, and maybe your pride? Make sure you're not making these oft-repeated lawncare no-nos by listening in to this episode of Eco Lawn Science. 

Do you want to wake up to animals eating your grass and pooping on your lawn? Of course you do. Who doesn't want a chemical-free, non-fossil fuel-using, furry, lawn mowing, weed control, and fertilization service? Companies like Rent A Goat and Real Deal Milk's Lawn Moo-er program can make your dreams come true. Want to know why Google has 200 goats milling about its grassy areas? Live in the UK and want free access to your very own lawn-roaming cow? Curious why Ete's day-dreaming about goats in fire fighter gear? Then this is the episode for you. It's all in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Is the person spraying your lawn licensed? Ask them. By law they should be. Having a license will definitely not ensure that a person is a lawn expert, but it does require at least a minimum understanding of how to treat turf. What does it mean if someone is a licensed Pesticide Applicator ("pesticides" include weed control)? Does it matter? Learn more about licensing in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Testing your soil is a fantastic way to figure out what you need to do to improve your lawn's health. If you've never done a soil test, if it's been a few years, if you have problem areas, Ete highly recommends getting a test done. Check with your local university extension to find out about testing centers in your area and mail off that sample. It's easy, affordable, and a great way see what amendments might be needed to get yourself a healthier, happier lawn. Learn more about the benefits of soil testing in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Lawn service advertisements, like the one Ete discusses today, can promote some serious doubt in your abilities to take on your own lawn. Okay, there may be some teeny-tiny kernels of truth to the dire warnings that your lawn will be hideous and virtually radioactive if you DIY it, but not much. And the truth is, there's nothing you can't learn to do properly on your own. Hear Ete's take on reasons for and against both DIYing your lawn, and hiring a company to do it for you, in this week's episode of Eco Lawn Science.

You may treat weeds, but it turns out your weeds can treat you too. Treat your body's ailments, that is. Full of vitamins, and all kinds of healthful properties, weeds may just help symptoms of your health issues. Today Ete takes a look at 11 very common weeds that are beneficial to your health, from helping calm inflammation and bowel issues to reducing cholesterol. Check out what medicinal plants may be lurking in your lawn in this episode of EcoLawn.

Prepare yourselves. Just like seemingly everything else, prices for lawn care is going to go up this year. Ete's seeing jumps between 10%-15% over last year's prices. Hear how the current economic climate is affecting the lawn care industry, and what that means for you, in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

The whole concept of home lawns and turfgrass areas is taking quite the beating these days. And there are very real, very legitimate concerns regarding keeping and maintaining a lawn. But lawns are not all bad. In fact, they do have some real benefits. Some are obvious, like aesthetics, but, surprisingly, responsibly-maintained turfgrasses also do some good things for the environment. Check out what's good about lawns in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Want to dig deeper into lawn care? Beyond podcasts, YouTube channels, and Instagram feeds, you'll find fantastic info by cracking into some good, old-fashioned books. This week Ete discusses some of the books he thinks would be most helpful to homeowners who want to learn more about how to care for their lawns. Hear which books made the list, and why, in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Continuing on the theme of unbelievable, futuristic lawn tech (check out the laser robot weed-killer episode)  you're going to want to go to the Scythe Robotics website and watch this  robot in action. We've talked about lawn mowing robots in the past, but this autonomous commercial lawn mower is next level. It's electric, quiet, maps with precision, and frees up the tech to get going on other things. This mower is dang impressive and leaves us excited about what's next for the green industry. Ete discusses the Scythe mower in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Welcome to the future. Want to eliminate weeds quickly, accurately, without soil disturbance and without chemicals? Of course you do. Today Ete introduces us to the Carbon Robotics Autonomous LaserWeeder. These robots roam around on their own, identify weeds, and kill them with lasers. With deadly accuracy. But don't run out to buy one yet. They're just for commercial agriculture. Plus they're on back order until 2023. But who knows? Maybe one day smaller versions of these suckers may patrol your lawn. Check out weed robots in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

This episode is for all the professional out there. Today Ete takes a look at remote control hose reels. Despite some serious skepticism, Ete spent some time using a remote control reel system. And now he's outfitting all of his trucks with them. Yeah, they're that game changing. In this episode, Ete discusses some different reels, hoses, and the companies who make them (btw, he has no affiliation with any of these companies) including:Quik SpraySupa Slip hoseHannay ReelsRME6014-33-34-10.5 Hannay Remote Controlled Power Rewind Hose ReelReel Tech

Fall is a great time–some say the best time–to do the things that will help rebuild your lawn after summer damage: aerations, overseedings, cleanups, renovations etc. This will set up for a healthy lawn come springtime. Power raking, something that a lot of people don't know about, is a great way to help reinvigorate your lawn. What is powerraking, and how does it help? Does my lawn need to be powerraked? Can I do it myself? Find out in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

You've hired a lawn company to treat your lawns. Ever wonder which brands they use? Where do professionals get their products? Today Ete talks about two of the companies he gets his products from, Huma Gro and Greene County Fertilizer Co. (he is not a sponsor of either company and gets nothing for endorsing them. He honestly just likes them). He'll even tell you the names of some of his favorite products. Hear all about what ferts the pros use  and more on this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Dry, hot, and everything seemed to be on fire. May we never again see a lawn season like the summer of 2021 (probably wishful thinking). Ete, our host as well as the owner of a lawn fertilization company, checks back in to tell us how he fared through this insane summer.  Terrible heat, little snow pack from the previous winter, no rain, and (necessary) water restrictions meant a real battle just to keep lawns alive. How did it go from a pro's perspective? Find out in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Here in UT, where even at the best of times getting the rain and snow we need is a constant preoccupation, this year's extreme lack of water is very concerning. Up and down the western half of the U.S., we're seeing record high temperatures and record low moisture. Adopted voluntarily or not, water restrictions are becoming a reality, and that's going to affect your lawn. That's got people really considering the costs of maintaining turf. Do they really need or want to maintain a lawn? Do they need all of their lawn? What options do they have to keep their lawns alive through this summer? Today we're talking about extreme drought and your lawn in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Oh the heat. Even with A/C we're all feeling it big time, so how do you think your lawn feels? Besides the obvious (PROPER IRRIGATION!) what does your lawn need? It's not more nitrogen. Nitrogen is essential at the right times and it brings on that green color pop, but hot, hot summer is definitely the time to back off.  So is your lawn craving right now? What can you do for your lawn if you're in a water restricted area? Could your dry spots be caused by something besides the heat? Ete's got answers. Check out this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Welcome to May in Utah. Some lawns are a little behind waking up this year, but for those who’s lawns are out of dormancy, it’s definitely time to start some lawn care. Getting your lawn in tip top shape right now will help your lawn ride out the harsh summer. What should you be focusing on to help your lawn get healthy this spring? What should you be sure to avoid doing? How can you help through this drought? Find out in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Do you fight with your lawn way too much? Do you deal with the same dead spots, fungi, insects, in the exact same places year after year? Whether it's from constant irrigation problems, lack of sun, soil issues, or any of a host of other potential problems that keep turf from thriving, the truth is that ripping out grass in some areas might be your wisest move. That may sound like a total bummer, but it's actually an opportunity to save precious resources, be creative, and spend your summers enjoying, rather than battling your lawn.

It happens every year. Warmer temps and winter fatigue combine to get everyone stoked about their lawns. Let's get those half dormant lawns green, green, green ASAP! Bring on the nitrogen! If dog spots are a lovely dark green, just add nitrogen to get the rest of the lawn to match! Chill out everyone. Dumping high N fertilizer on your lawn is a bad move. Want to find out why that is and when exactly you should start fertilizing? Check out this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

As the soil temperature warms up, weeds will start popping up like crazy–on your lawn, and in your flowerbeds. One day you'll see none. The next day it's an outbreak. If you're looking to suppress some of those irritating weeds and keep them from showing up in your flower/mulch beds, you might consider using a pre-emergent.  Some people choose not to use them, but pre-emergents can significantly decrease the work you have to do in your beds throughout the season. Now is the time to get them down. Hear more about how to use pre-emergents in your mulched beds in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

After a long winter’s nap, the grass is finally waking up here in Utah! It’s likely that your lawn won’t be fully out of dormancy quite yet, but it’s nearly there. What should you do when to give your lawn the best care you can as it emerges from its sleep? How do you handle typical issues that become apparent this time of year, like pink snow mold? What fertilizer should you use? Hear what Ete has to say about this topic in the episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Ete's been all over this winter: NY NJ, VA, FL, TX, which means he's seen both cold season (used a lot in the north) and warm season grasses (used in the south). Each type of grass has its own needs. Today Ete goes over some things that you can do to prepare for the spring for both kinds of grass. In the north, it's time to think about how you're removing your snow, and maybe taking soil samples. In the south, it's almost go time for pre-emergents. Wherever you are, let's get ready for spring in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Drive by any neighborhood after winter and you will most likely see little flags or signs on many of the lawns. We all know that means those properties have been treated by a lawn fertilization service. So the sign are just there as an advertisement for those companies, right? Nope. So what else do those signs indicate? What is an REI (hint: it's not just a great store)? How do you find out how long you should stay off your lawn once those signs go up? Find out in this episode of EcoLawn Science.

We’re on the road today, speaking with Dean Johnson, owner of Healthy Homes Pest Control in the Richmond, VA area (be sure to check out their website if you need pest control services). And in today’s episode, we’re taking it indoors.When asked what his favorite insect was, Dean replied “yellow jackets...because they fight back.” That says it all. This is a man who takes his job seriously. This is a man who loves what he does. This is a man from whom you want to take pest advice. Luckily for us, he’s ready to share.What can you do to make your home uninviting to bugs? What should you expect from your pest control company? What should pest control generally cost?Get the answers to these questions–and hear why cockroaches are even more disgusting than you already thought they were–from pest control specialist, Dean Johnson. It’s all in this episode of The Company Next Door.

PictureThis is an incredibly useful and powerful app, available for free (although there is a paid "pro" version) for Iphones and Android phones. (We have no affiliation with this company, and we are not receiving any compensation from them). What can PictureThis do for you? Ete uses this app all the time for plant identification (especially weeds) and for getting info about all kinds of plants. The description for the app claims a 98% accuracy rate on millions of plants and says that with it you can: - Identify plants, flowers, and trees instantly with artificial intelligence - Diagnose plant problems automatically and get treatment suggestions - Get advice from our botanists in one-on-one conversations - Use our plant guides to help you choose and grow beautiful, healthy plants - Keep notes, get reminders, and record the growth of your plants, trees, and flowers - Take better photographs with our easy-to-use interfaceWhile Ete has found that PictureThis is not perfect, it is dead-on most of the time. Find out more about PictureThis in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Today Ete introduces a very cool lawn tool, Turf Stress Detection Glasses (Turf-Tec) from Turf-Tec International. (Ete has no affiliation with this company and is receiving no compensation from them).These glasses purport to help you see turf damage, weeds, and sprinkler problems earlier than you would with the naked eye. The technology for these glasses was developed by NASA. This particular pair costs $35 (Ete's memory was way off on this).Is this for real? Do they really work? How could these glasses help you? Find out in this Episode of Eco Lawn Science.

You know how you can't remember what you had for lunch yesterday? Well, there's about a 99.9% chance that you won't remember a thing about your 2020 lawn season by next year. Did you have any fungal or insect issues? How did you feel about your lawn service–did you want to change up your plan, were there services you want to add next year, did you want to get a different lawn company? How often and how long were you watering when you got your best results? Which areas tend to get brown, during the summer? Ete recommends that you actually take the time to write it all down now. Yes, it's a pain, but you will thank yourself next year. If you're a lawn company, do the same. Take stock now. What did you want to change for next year? Don't get caught mid-season 2021 thinking, "Oh yeah, I meant to do that this year."

Here we are in November. Your lawn's been through a lot and you want to help it out as much as possible. The foundation of a good, healthy lawn is good, healthy soil. Build and balance your soil, build a healthy lawn. One way to help balance and increase the health of your soil is top-dressing. What is that? Generally speaking, top-dressing is a mixture of goodness for your soil, typically some blend of sand, peat, loam, compost, etc. What you need in the blend depends on your soil's specific needs. Top-dressing (the verb) is to put down a thin layer of that mixture over your lawn. This helps develop your soil and can help even out those lumpy areas in your lawn. Top-dressing is a great way to get your lawn in better shape. Learn more about how to top-dress in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Temperatures have dropped considerably, especially at night (how 'bout that 1º weather last week?). Your lawn is entering dormancy; it's going to sleep before the harsh winter. What do you need to do for your lawn right now? Should you mow, fertilize, clean up leaves or let them stay? What can you do to prep for the spring? Get answers on this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Roots, roots, roots. Want a great lawn and healthy, resilient plants? You need to get those roots growing. We've had Doug Dickie of Carbon One on the show before, and he's a plant knowledge power house. Today, Doug discusses how to push root growth right now, in the fall. He knows his science, and while he talks about the process of root growth, complete with a discussion of hydrogen ions, respiration, and energy storage, we promise you won't get lost. You will, however, come away with a better understanding of growing strong plants. It's Doug Dickie on pushing fall root growth on this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

You may be doing your fall lawn applications right about now, the all-important last application of the season. But fall can also bring some extra windy, blustery days. Should you treat when the wind's a-howlin'? What problems can that cause? What can you do to try to avoid any windy app issues? Find out in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Today, Ete sits down with John Perry, founder of Bio Green, author of the Lawncology blog and YouTube channel, and founder of Greene County Fertilizer Company.John Perry is a rockstar of the lawn care industry. If you have anything to do with lawns professionally, you know who John is and you know that he is one of lawn care's top influencers. Considering the fact that lawn care is a $100 billion a year industry and employs over a million people in the US, that's a pretty big deal. Ete, as you may or may not know, owns a lawn care company, so this was a double whammy of excitement for him--a super successful business owner and another person to geek out on lawns with.When John was 12 years old, his family moved from Houston to Park City. This was when Park City was not yet Park City, back when there were two stop lights in town. John was homeschooled which suited his need for a self-driven, self-paced education. Apart from his studies, he was also schooled in the practical, real life details of entrepreneurship. John's mom was a serious entrepreneur, and he grew up with a front row seat to what business ownership looks like. His mother started and ran several businesses, from property management, to cell phone dealerships, to owning a car rental company. One of her first business ventures was running a landscaping business. She would bring her kids along to her various jobs, so that even from the beginning, horticulture was a part of John's life.Very early on, John knew that he wanted to be an entrepreneur. He recognized that "I want to build something that's my own. And I want to make it bigger than the small pond." He learned about different aspects of business from his first jobs onward. He remembers working at ski shops from the time he was 13. There he witnessed first-hand the expansion process of a small business, from one shop, to multiple shops. He also got some experience in managing customers.He started his first business–a polymer injection company–at 22, and eventually recognized that not having residuals was a big problem. Instead of constantly seeking out new clients, he wanted to sell to an established client base. In 2005 he started Bio Green, a lawn spraying company, which would eventually boast 86 locations around the country. Here he established licensing agreements, and minimum purchase agreements for the fertilizers he was making and selling. In 2014, he started Greene County Fertilizer Company, a large fertilizer manufacturing business which allowed him to white label products and sell them to other companies.John's success owed just as much to his knowledge of soil and plant science as to his business acumen. Over the years, he had accumulated a vast amount of information about how to grow healthy plants which he wanted to share, so he decided to write a book. He started the blog, Lawncology, as a way to process his thoughts and find inspiration for the book. After a lot of coaxing from his team, he then started a YouTube channel of the same name. Both have been incredibly successful and have vaulted John to a position as one of the top lawn experts and influencers in the country, not only with industry folks, but also with the public at large, anyone with an interest in growing things.In this episode, John offers some fantastic business advice. He has plenty to say about the difficulties of entrepreneurship. He also discusses the pitfalls that the "two different kinds of people who start businesses" often fall into, how to find a great salesperson, the importance of transparency, and the idea of separating your identity from the business's identity. Hear some great stories and learn from John Perry in this episode of The Company Next Door.

Perhaps you've seen the rather disturbing pictures of swarms of floating, dead fish. Or maybe you heard about the public health warning telling people to avoid contact with the water at Utah Lake this summer. Algae Bloom is a serious problem. Today Doug Dickie (check out the Carbon One episode) returns to the show to discuss the science and issues behind algal bloom and a possible solution, Algae Block.

Fall is a great time to aerate. Aeration, either core aeration or liquid aeration, can be very beneficial to a lawn, breaking up compaction and improving the environment for your grass. If you're on a budget, aeration can give you a lot of benefit for comparatively little money. How do you know if you need to aerate? How can you tell if your soil is compacted? Find out in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Are you lucky enough to live in a place where water is cheap? That's awesome! But you still shouldn't run your sprinklers too often or too long. Besides the waste of resources, you could be opening your lawn up to a whole host of issues. In some cases, more water means more problems. To learn more, check out today's episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Today's episode was inspired by a walk Ete took around his neighborhood. After a recent lawn mowing, a neighbor's lawn service had blown grass clippings into the street. So what? Well, after a little digging, Ete found that this fairly common practice can actually have some pretty big consequences. What damage could grass clippings in the street possibly cause? Find out in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

We talk a lot about weed prevention and use of chemical solutions for weed control, but there are other solutions for getting rid of weeds. You can also "mechanically," or physically remove, weeds. It's a terrible job, but sometimes it needs to be done. What do you do if you have giant thistle stalks making your property ugly and unusable? What if giant patches of weeds on your land have already seeded and you want to make sure the seeds don't get into the soil? What if you just don't want to use chemicals at all to get rid of weeds? We're talking mechanical weed removal this week on Eco Lawn Science.

This week on Eco Lawn Science, Ete chats with Hunter Dalsing, a licensed technician who spends his days battling Noxious Weeds. Hunter explains what it's like to be out there fighting these invasive weeds on a daily basis. He describes the weeds he's seeing most often, gives some advice on some best practices for getting rid of them, and makes recommendations on what homeowners can do to help eradicate them. Also, find out which weeds are Hunter's favorite (hint: it's the most wearable weed--see picture here, down at the bottom), and which ones drive him crazy. It's a great conversation about Noxious Weeds with a guy who knows them well on this episode of Eco Lawn Science.Russian KnapweedViper's Blugloss

While lawns are our specialty, we're branching out into trees today. Tim Morris, certified arborist and owner of Park City Tree, joins Ete for an episode on basic tree care. Are those leaf spots from a fungus? How much water should my trees be getting? What the heck is scale? Ete and Tim talk "magic taproots" and "tree volcanoes" while answering some basic tree care questions on this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

We're into August and heading towards "The Final Hurdle," as Ete refers to this last push in the struggle to keep lawns healthy through the summer. What should your expectations be for your lawn during this time of year? What sort of problems should you be watching out for right now? What specific steps can you take to help your lawn get through? Ete discusses this and more in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Happy 50th episode! We never expected anyone to actually listen to this podcast except maybe our mom. But you're out there! And you're listening! We love that and we're so grateful to you. Really. Thank you so much.Today Ete discusses lawn care subscription boxes. Subscription boxes are everywhere these days, and lawn care services are getting in on the action. Who would a subscription service be good for? What are the possible pros and cons of this kind of service? What kind of subscription service should you look for? Ete takes a look at all of this in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Weeds. What are they and how do you get rid of them? Today's episode is an overview of weeds. Ete discusses some often overlooked steps in controlling weeds: identifying the weed, identifying the category the weed belongs to, and understanding its life cycle. You'll learn some of the terminology you'll often hear in the weed control world. Ete brings it all together to help you kill those unwanted plants more effectively.

Year after year, you're seeing a brown patch develop in the same spot. You've checked and you are definitely watering the area correctly. The shape of the brown patch is inconsistent with a fungal issue. What could it possibly be? There's a chance it's a "localized dry spot (LDS)", also known as a "hot spot," or "hot pocket" (delicious). These patches are caused by a build-up of bicarbonate that keep water from penetrating into the soil where it's needed. How do you know if localized dry spots are your problem? And what can you do about them?

The summer heat is here. The sun is beating down on your lawn with brutal intensity. Your lawn needs water. And it needs the right amount of water at the right times. How should you water your lawn? How much water does your lawn need? When should you be running my irrigation? How do you make sure your sprinklers are giving adequate coverage? Get the answers to your lawn watering questions today on Eco Lawn Science.See the video version of this podcast here.

Your lawn was looking great just a few weeks ago, but now patches of your grass are turning brown. What's going on? Is it a fungus? Do you have insects? Did your lawn company burn your lawn? At this time of year there's a good chance you're looking at drought stress. Today Ete discusses how to determine if you have drought stress and what you can do about it.See the video version of this podcast here.

About this time of year it’s typical to see your grass doing something kind of weird-looking (see below). Your grass is seeding. Many people often mistake seeding grasses for weeds, but really your lawn is just doing what grasses naturally do, trying to make more it itself (though the seeds are probably sterile). The research isn’t definitive but it seems that this seeding is neither helpful nor harmful, just a little ugly. Learn more in the today’s episode of EcoLawn Science.

The lawn's looking pretty darn good. The fertilizer you put down has really helped green it up. It's come alive. It's popping. Unfortunately the weeds are popping too. It's time to take care of those suckers! Chances are you're going to want to use a liquid weed control and that means you're going to need some kind of spray equipment to apply it. Today Ete discusses some good sprayer options for the average homeowner, including hand cans, manual backpack sprayers, and electric backpack sprayers. He also recommends some of his favorite brands and models.

Need to put down some fertilizer? The ubiquitous green push spreader is not your only option! Depending on the size of your lawn, you might actually be happier with a hand spreader, or one of our favorite tools, the chest pack. If you have a lot of ground to cover maybe you do need a push spreader, but know that you aren't limited to the same spreader all of your neighbors have. In this episode, Ete talks about some different types of granular spreading equipment, and offers some recommendations.

You (or your lawn service) have just applied weed control to those hideous weeds on your lawn. Now how long do you have to wait until they're dead and finally out of your sight? An hour? A day? A week? Well, as with all things lawn care, it depends on a lot of factors. What variables determine how long it takes for your weeds to die? How do you know if they even are dying? Should it be taking this long? How long should you wait before you decide it hasn't worked? Get your weed kill timing questions answered in this episode.

It's an easy mistake to make, and we've all done it at some point. It's spring or early summer. We see that weird patch of grass in our lawn and think, "Oh no, crabgrass!" But in Utah and many other parts of the country, crabgrass does not come out until much later, usually July/August. So what is that awful grass ruining the uniformity of your lawn? It's one of several different grasses that we at Eco Lawn Science refer to generally as "pasture grass" or "junk grass." And it would be great if the only issue here was that people were calling a weed by the wrong name. Unfortunately it's a lot more complicated. There are pretty solid solutions for crabgrass. For "pasture grass"? Not so much. Learn more in this episode.